Pediatricians Say Kids As Young As 18 Months Can Learn From TV, Apps, But Adults Still Need To Help

You might not like to admit it, but if you're a parent, you've probably used television as a babysitter or an iPad as a toy--and not only once or twice.

You might even know that research suggests young children who spend hours in front of a screen are more likely to be obese, sleep poorly and not hit developmental milestones on time, but sometimes you just need to entertain your young child while you make a phone call, jump in the shower or drive to grandma's house.

That doesn't mean you don't feel guilty about it, especially because you've heard that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in a 2011 policy statement, discouraged screen time for kids under age 2. Even so, 9 out of 10 parents say their infants and/or toddlers watch some form of electronic media, according to the AAP.

Well, you might feel a little relieved to learn that the AAP has softened its stance a tiny bit, although the organization still isn't giving harried parents an excuse to allow infants and toddlers to binge-watch anything, even educational shows such as Sesame Street.

In a policy statement out Friday that's focused on children under age 5, the group still notes that "children younger than 2 years need hands-on exploration and social interaction with trusted caregivers to develop their cognitive, language, motor and social-emotional skills." And if your child is younger than around 15 months of age, you shouldn't justify plopping them in front of a screen just because the program or app is supposed to be educational. Their brains are just too immature to get it, according to the AAP.

Children as young as 18 months canould learn by watching appropriate programming, but only if a parent or other trusted adult watches with them, according to a couple of new policy statements. (Shutterstock)

But they actually could learn something when they reach the ripe old age of 18 months, as long as you or another adult is sitting beside them to help explain what's going on, the AAP policy statement says. That sentiment is echoed in a joint policy brief, also released Friday, from the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services on early learning and educational techology.

"We thought long and hard about this, because we wanted to make sure we were following what the evidence says...about when little brains can start to learn from media," University of Michigan pediatrician Dr. Jenny Radesky, lead author of the statement, said Friday at an AAP Facebook Live event.

Still, Radesky said, an 18-month-old brain is pretty immature, so children that young might find it difficult to translate what they see on a two-dimensional screen into their three-dimensional lives. That's why it's vital that a parent or other trusted adult watch with them and help explain what they're seeing, she said.

But children younger than 18 months can't really learn anything from what they see on a screen, even if the show or app is considered to be educational, Radesky said. "They need hands-on play. They need to be giggling with their parents or caregivers. They need to be engaging with the physical world." (The AAP policy statement does note that interacting with grandma and grandpa and others via video-chatting platforms such as Skype or FaceTime is OK even for infants.)

The federal agencies' policy brief, which was developed in consultation with the AAP and is aimed at children from birth up to age 8, provides four "guiding principles" for families and early childhood educators. The guidelines note that technology can be a learning tool, especially if adults watch along and interact with children.

"We want parents and teachers to use media as learning tools," Libby Doggett, deputy assistant secretary of education for policy and early learning, said at the AAP's Facebook Live event. Still, Doggett said, nothing can replace parents or teachers interacting with children.

Choose high-quality programming, and watch with your child so you can help them understand what they're seeing. Avoid fast-paced programs, because they're more difficult for young children to understand, violent content and apps with a lot of bells and whistles and other distractions.

Don't feel like you have to introduce technology early or your kids will be at a disadvantage. Kids can figure out how to interface with technology pretty quickly, whenever they start using it.

If your child is age 2 to 5, limit screen time to an hour a day. That can be tricky if your child is streaming a series on Hulu or the like, because the next episode is queued up to begin automatically as soon as one ends, noted Radesky.

Set a good example and turn off televisions and other devices when they're not in use. And make sure meals are device-free.

Avoid using screen time to calm your child. Although it can be useful on an airplane flight or during a medical procedure, routinely relying on the television or tablet computer to soothe your child could interfere with them learning to regulate their emotions themselves.

Don't let young children watch anything within an hour of bedtime, and make sure to remove all devices from their bedrooms before bed.

Check out the AAP's online tool for help in developing a media use plan for your family.

You likely might already have figured out a lot of this on your own. As James Steyer, founder of the nonprofit Common Sense Media, said at the AAP Facebook Live event, what it all boils down to is: "In terms of making good choices, use common sense."